Is 2020 getting you down? Do you feel like you're in a creative slump? Join in my 30 Day Creativity Challenge and make every day a day to create!
2020 has been an absolute stinker! It's time for me to stop wallowing, dust myself off, have some fun and feel creative again! To wake me from this funk, I've put together a 30 Day Creativity Challenge with small daily prompts, so I feel inspired to live creatively again - I hope you'll join in with me too!
My mantra is Every day is a day to create! and while this does relate to my quilting, crochet and baking life, it's also about creating moments, relaxing spaces, memories and quality time for my loved ones as we navigate the ups and downs of life together!
I've put together a chart of daily prompts to use for the next thirty days, so we can all feel creative and have some fun! Feel free to swap out any of the prompts with your own fresh ideas, and don't worry about starting on a given day - just start when you're ready! (I'm starting this Sunday, and I'll keep you updated on my progress!)
You know the more we create, the more we want to create! My mind wants to, but life has been so challenging and tiring lately that my body doesn't want to cooperate. Creativity is like a flowing river and life creates dams or blockages which hold us back! It's time to let that river run free again! Do you need a little river maintenance as well?
The whole point of this challenge is to create every day, but it shouldn't become a chore. If you miss a day or ten, it doesn't matter. I might not make it through all thirty days myself, but I'm determined to try my hardest. Do what you can, adapt projects to suit you, and create like no one's watching!
If you want to join in, you can download the 30 Day Creativity Challenge chart by simply clicking the link below, and print and stick the chart where you will see it every day.
To help you out, the rest of this post includes ideas for each daily prompt, plus a few links to inspire you and save you time. Go forth lovely and create, and don't forget... have lots and lots of fun!
Here we go:
Day 1 - New Cookie Recipe
Let's kick this challenge off by trying a new cookie recipe. We tend to stick to recipes and flavors we know and love, so try a new combination to awaken those senses. Add your own personal touch using glazes or melted chocolate or decorate them with buttercream and sprinkles.
There's lots of wonderful recipes to bake, but to get you started try these:
Day 2 - Set a Fancy Dinner Table
Dust off the good china, glasses, linen and silverware, and create a fancy family dinner party. Add flowers, candles, napkins, place cards and a little music, and make tonight's dining experience one to remember. Whether it's inside or outside under the stars, serve your nightly meal with elegant ambience - it can be anything from the weekly roast to some easy takeaway. Create lasting memories!
Here's some inspiration to get you started:
Day 3 - Sew Your Favorite Quilt Block
Quilt blocks are perfect when you just want to sew for fun! Get creative and choose a colour palette you might not normally use or prints you tend to steer away from, and play, play, play! Sew slowly and try to nest all the seams perfectly, and not lose any points. Sometimes we rush because we have lots of blocks to sew, but today focus all your attention on this one block and enjoy sewing it together piece by piece!
Free block patterns you might like:
Day 4 - Press Some Flowers
Preserve the beauty of nature by pressing some garden flowers. In my nan's book collection, I found several pressed flowers between the pages, and they are so special to me. They're delicate and pretty and they capture a moment in her life she obviously wanted to remember.
Use heavy books or a flower press and preserve your own flowers for future generations or for craft projects at a later date.
Here's some tips:
Day 5 - Crochet A Granny Square
Granny Square Day is Saturday August 15, so grab your yarn and crochet a square for the World's Largest Virtual Blanket. This is a fun day to participate in, and all you need to do is add a full photo (no borders) to your Instagram feed and use the hashtag #grannysquareday2020 on August 15, and your square will become part of the blanket. Cool right?
Need some granny square patterns? Try these:
Day 6 - Arrange Cut Garden Flowers
I'm the worst flower arranger on the planet! When I buy a pretty bouquet I have to leave them tied together in the vase so they look as nice as they did when I brought them ;) Today's challenge is my personal prompt to be creative with some garden flowers - wish me luck!
Head out to the garden and pick what flowers you have. Get creative and arrange them in vases throughout the house. They'll smell amazing and they're an instant mood booster!
You can find some tips for arranging flowers here:
Day 7 - Personalise A Journal
Writing in a journal is a way to record personal insights, reflections, and opinions on just about anything. I've journaled since the good old days of key locked diaries that you hid from your mum, and I love adding decorations or embellishments to personalise my writing haven.
Add printed quotes, stickers, scrapbooking embellishments, pressed flowers, or whatever makes you happy to make your journal pretty and functional.
Schedule time to write everyday - it's therapeutic to brain dump ideas, feelings and your truth on a regular basis!
Tips for journal writing and decorating:
Day 8 - Love Notes In The Lunchbox
Ever since the kids were little, I occasionally add love notes to everyone's lunchbox. They loved it at the beginning, but as they grew older, I had to mention they may be a surprise in there, so they could spot it before their friends did ;)
You can never tell someone you love them enough, and they can't hear it enough either, so grab some note paper and pens and write your own love notes for the lunchbox.
Love note sayings:
Day 9 - Bake Muffins For A Neighbour
Freshly baked muffins left on the doorstep are a wonderful way to say thanks for bringing in my rubbish bin or collecting a parcel while I was away. Neighbours look out for us in so many ways and they deserve a special gift from time to time.
Make a batch of your favorite muffins, pop them in a basket and get creative with the extras. Add some teabags, hot chocolate sachets, flowers, pretty paper napkins or plates, small jars of jam or a fancy mug or teacup. It's a fun and sweet way to say, I appreciate all you do!
Muffin recipes you might like to try:
Day 10 - Sew A Needle Book
It's time to sew ourselves a little gift. Grab that special fabric you've been saving, you know the one, and sew yourself a needle keeper. Get creative and add a monogram, some antique buttons, ribbons, embroidery, or any embellishment that makes your heart sing!
Here's some Free Needle Book patterns to inspire you:
Day 11 - Crochet a Bracelet
I love dainty handmade bracelets, and Maddi and I used to spend hours making them together. They're great for stacking and fun to make! Grab your yarn scraps, crochet yourself a new bracelet or two, and wear them every day!
A few free patterns to get you started:
Day 12 - Make Some Napkin Rings
Setting the table with cloth napkins means I get to add pretty napkin rings! I have a few sets I've purchased, but homemade one's are my absolute favorite. They set the theme and add a touch of elegance, and you can make them with supplies you have in your craft boxes.
Some inspiring tutorials to make your own:
Day 13 - Sew a Bookmark
It's no secret I love to read, and I have a large collection of bookmarks because I see them at the book shop and have no self-control ;) I also have a few quilted ones sewn from scraps, and they're some of my favorites. Sew yourself a bookmark today!
Try these free tutorials:
Day 14 - Crochet A Coaster
I put crocheted coasters everywhere, well not literally! They look pretty and homey, and they wash so easily - I just toss them in the washing machine. I love finding new patterns to try and they crochet quickly so you can make a few in a night. Find a pattern you love and crochet yourself a pretty coaster for your sewing space or reading nook!
Some pretty coasters to try:
Day 15 - Make Your Own Bath Salts
You're at the halfway point of the 30 Day Creativity Challenge, so it's time to treat yourself to some luxury. Making your own bath salts is easy and fun, and you deserve some much needed me time soaking away the stresses of your busy life.
Try these bath salt recipes:
Day 16 - Decorate A Plain Tea Towel
Do you hang a tea towel on your oven door? I switch mine out regularly and it gives the kitchen a mini face lift. Plain store brought tea towels are a blank canvas begging for your creativity. Add some applique, stamp with fabric paint, sew on a floral fabric strip, crochet a pretty edging, or try some tie dying to give your tea towel a look that's unique and fun.
Some creative ideas to try:
Day 17 - Frame Old Handwritten Recipes
This has been on my to do list for weeks now. I'd love to frame some handwritten recipes from both my nan's and my mother in law's collections and hang them in our kitchen. I have a tub of old recipe books and notepads, and it would be nice to display a few for everyone to enjoy!
Here's some inspiration:
Day 18 - Make Some Scrunchies
Scrunchies are all the rage again - I notice Cohen's female friends wear them on their wrist (in case of a hair emergency perhaps?) They're super easy to make and half the fun is choosing the fabrics, so grab your scrap bins and make a batch of scrunchies.
Try these scrunchie tutorials:
Day 19 - Plant A Herb Garden
Having your own herb garden is a great kitchen tool, and you can grow herbs in pots, vertical planters, as companion plants in the garden, in cracks and gaps between pavers, or on the window ledge. Fresh herbs bring your meals to life, so plant your own garden today (or give your existing garden a spruce)! Don't forget to add some cute name tags and maybe an ornament or two!
Helpful herb garden tips and tricks:
Day 20 - Bake a New Dessert
Let's be honest, I'd eat dessert every night of the week if I could! I make one dessert a week and I like to try something different, so it feels even more special. If you've been putting off making that new dessert recipe you found, then tonight's the night. You deserve a little indulgence! :)
Some yummy ones you might enjoy:
Day 21 - Sew a Cushion
Let's spruce up our reading nook or our favorite chair by sewing a new cushion. Quick projects like cushions can make a dramatic impact to our homes aesthetic, and there are so many wonderful designs to try.
Free cushion patterns to inspire you:
Day 22 - Make a Recipe Binder
Keeping all your handwritten and printed recipes in the one place, saves time and it's a fun project to work on. There are lots of ways to store recipes and many sites offer free printables so you can make your own binder/s.
Check out these free Recipe Binder Printables:
Day 23- Plant Some Seeds or Bulbs
Prepare some containers and plant some seeds or bulbs today. You'll be rewarded with a colourful display in the weeks to come and it's fun to nurture them from tiny beginnings. Think outside the box and upcycle household items to plant them in, and don't forget to talk to them daily! ;)
Tips for creating flowering containers:
Day 24 - Bake Bread or Rolls for Dinner
No meal is complete without some yummy bread or rolls straight from the oven. I regularly stop at the bakery for a loaf of something, but today's the day to bake my own. The only problem is, what will I bake? I want to try them all!
Recipes to tempt you:
Day 25 - Crochet A Flower Garland
Crochet some pretty flowers and attach them to a length of chain to make a garland. You can decorate a child's room, your kitchen window or any spot in the house that needs a homemade touch. Add some crocheted leaves or hearts to make it even more special.
Crochet flowers patterns free to try:
Day 26 - Make Jam.
Jam making was a big part of my childhood - we never ate store jam! I make it occasionally but usually I grab some at the supermarket. I make a quick and easy chia jam to add to my Greek yoghurt, but a batch of homemade jam is on today's agenda. I think it might be raspberry!
Easy jam recipes and labels you'll love:
Day 27 - Upcycle a Tin Can
Empty tin cans make great upcycling projects. You can use them for storage, tea light containers, make up brush holders, planters and so much more. Grab your craft supplies, an empty tin and create something unique and save it from land fill.
Great ideas for upcycling tin cans:
Day 28 - Make a Homemade Face Mask
Time to pamper yourself with a relaxing and invigorating homemade face mask. Grab some items from the pantry, whip up a luxurious mask and lie back and relax as the ingredients do all the work. It's a recharge for you and your skin will glow.
Luxurious homemade face masks to try:
Day 29 - Sew A Shopping Bag
Let's face it, the reusable shopping bags you purchase are practical, but not very pretty. For grocery shopping they're OK, but if I'm going to walk around retail shopping all day, I prefer handmade ones - they're way more chic! ;) Raid the fabrics and sew yourself a pretty shopping bag and hit the mall!
DIY shopping bag patterns to try:
Day 30 - Decorate a Cake
It's the last day of my 30 Day Creativity Challenge, and to celebrate it's time to bake and decorate a cake. Think fresh fruit, fondant flowers, macarons, sprinkles, chocolate bark or any other decoration that makes you feel creative and happy. If time is short, add some special touches to a store brought cake. Try a technique you haven't tried before and make it super pretty!
Cake decorating tips to help you out:
Thanks for joining in my 30 Day Creativity Challenge, and thanks for hanging in there to read this very long post. I hope these daily prompts boost your creativity and distract you from what's happening in the world right now!
Let's move into the last months of 2020 positive, happy, creative and healthy! Life's too short, make all the pretty things!
Happy creating :)
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